If you’re in B2B sales, you know the pain: too many leads, not enough time, and no way to tell which ones will actually buy. That’s why automated lead scoring exists—to help you sort through the noise and focus on real opportunities. But let’s be honest: most “lead scoring” setups are either so basic they’re useless, or so complex nobody trusts them. This guide is for sales teams who want a practical, honest walkthrough for setting up automated lead scoring in Kular—without drowning in hype or overkill.
Why bother with lead scoring (and when not to)
Let’s gut-check this: Lead scoring is only useful if you actually have more leads than your sales team can chase. If you’re not at that point, skip this guide and just talk to your prospects. But if you’re getting a steady flow of inbound leads, or your SDRs are overwhelmed, scoring helps you make decisions:
- Prioritize follow-ups. Not all leads are worth the same effort.
- Spot the fakes and tire-kickers. Some folks will never buy. That’s fine—don’t waste time.
- Get your team on the same page. No more arguing over who’s a “hot” lead.
If you’re hoping lead scoring will magically boost your pipeline by 10x, temper your expectations. It’s a tool, not a silver bullet.
Step 1: Get your data in order
Before you touch any automation, make sure your sales data is actually usable. Kular can only score leads based on what you feed it.
What you need (and what you don’t):
Must-haves: - Basic contact info (email, job title, company) - Lead source (how did they find you?) - Engagement signals (web visits, email opens, downloads, demo requests)
Nice-to-haves: - Company size, industry, revenue (if you sell to specific segments) - CRM data (deal stage, notes, last contact date)
Don’t bother with: - Social media likes, unless you’re selling social tools - “Sentiment” scores from AI—these are mostly noise
Pro tip: Garbage in, garbage out. If your CRM is a mess, pause here and clean it up first. Otherwise, your scoring will just reflect your data chaos.
Step 2: Define what a “good” lead actually looks like
This is where most people mess up: they copy some blog’s lead scoring template and call it a day. Don’t do that. Your best leads probably don’t look like everyone else’s.
How to get real:
- Talk to your sales team. Who are the easiest/worst customers to close?
- Look at your last 20 deals. What did those buyers have in common? (Industry? Company size? Behavior?)
- List “deal-breaker” traits. E.g., if you only sell to US companies, exclude everyone else.
Write this down. You’ll use it to set up your scoring rules.
Step 3: Map your lead scoring rules in Kular
Kular lets you build scoring workflows from the ground up. It’s flexible—but that means you need a plan. Don’t let automation replace thinking.
Types of rules to set up:
- Demographic fit: Does the lead match your target customer profile?
- e.g., +10 points if job title contains “Director”
- e.g., -25 points if company size < 50 employees
- Engagement signals: Actions that indicate real interest
- e.g., +15 points for booking a demo
- e.g., +5 points for opening 3+ emails
- Deal-breakers: Reasons to disqualify immediately
- e.g., -100 points if company is on your “do not sell” list
How to do this in Kular:
- Go to the Lead Scoring section (usually under “Automation” or “Workflows”).
- Create a new scoring model. Give it a name that makes sense—“Inbound SMB Lead Scoring,” for example.
- Add your rules:
- Set conditions (e.g., “job title contains VP or Director”).
- Assign points (positive or negative).
- Stack rules as needed; more specific beats more general.
- Set thresholds: Decide what score = “Marketing Qualified Lead” (MQL) vs. “Sales Qualified Lead” (SQL). Start simple: e.g., 60+ points = MQL.
Pro tip: Don’t try to be perfect. Get a basic model working, then tune it as you learn.
Step 4: Automate the workflow
Scoring is pointless if nobody acts on it. Kular can trigger actions when a lead crosses your score threshold.
What to automate (and what to leave manual):
Automate: - Assigning leads to reps based on score - Sending alerts or Slack notifications for hot leads - Moving leads to new CRM stages (e.g., from “New” to “Qualified”)
Don’t automate (yet): - Sending “personalized” emails. These always sound robotic unless you’re careful. - Disqualifying leads without human review, unless you’re 100% sure.
Setting up in Kular:
- Create workflow triggers: “When lead score > X, do Y.”
- Choose actions: Assign, notify, update CRM, etc.
- Test with a few leads: Make sure reps actually see and act on these changes.
Heads up: Over-automation is real. If your reps start ignoring notifications, you’ve gone too far. Keep it useful.
Step 5: Test, adjust, and ignore the hype
No lead scoring model survives first contact with real sales calls. Don’t sweat it.
How to keep it real:
- Review results weekly. Are your “hot” leads actually closing? If not, tweak the rules.
- Ask reps for feedback. Are they actually using the scores? Or are they ignoring them?
- Watch for false positives/negatives. If junk leads get high scores, fix your signals.
Ignore: - Any vendor promising “AI-powered” scoring that you can’t explain to your team in plain English. - Overly granular rules (e.g., “+1 point for every website visit”). Keep it meaningful.
Step 6: Keep it simple, and iterate
You don’t need 50 rules or a PhD in data science. Most teams see results with 5–10 solid rules and a willingness to tweak.
- Start with obvious rules.
- Add or change 1–2 things at a time.
- Stay skeptical—if something’s not helping, cut it.
Wrapping up
Automated lead scoring in Kular works best when you keep the process clear and ruthlessly practical. Don’t get bogged down in every possible data signal or shiny feature. Start simple, use the insights your sales team already has, and keep tuning as you go. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection—it’s helping your team focus on leads that actually matter.